The only intelligent thing that has come out of Führer Benedict...This will piss off his conservative Evangelical brethren!

This is a much easier stance for the Vatican to take than for a lot of Protestant denominations because the Catholic Church isn't as tightly stuck to the text of the Bible.

Plus:

1. They have worldwide intellectual scholars that actually THINK & understand that science has a very valid place when it concerns spiritual matters (there are other Protestant churches that also have thinkers, ie Episcopal).

2. The RC Church has learned over the centuries not to reject scientific advances (since they imprisoned/killed so many scientists in the past, ie Galileo) & learned from those mistakes & realize that scientists/science were/is on to something important that would benefit mankind & not just the scriptures.

3. They've understood that one has to caution against literal translation of every "jot & tiddle" of the bible. Younger Christian denominations ALWAYS tend to make that mistake. As they mature they realize that ain't the case. As a scholar I once read said, "Read scripture seriously, but not literally." Even thinking Jewish scholars say the same thing. And they've been at it much longer than any Christian denomination.

***Sadly, the RC Church hasn't caught up w/ the scientific studies that say that homosexuality is a-ok. I think this will happen someday. When? I don't know. That's why other mainline Protestant denominations have embraced our community. Cuz they pay attention to what science has to say & realize that they have no choice but to alter their previous bigoted stances.

one can only hope it will piss them off

let the fundies and the Catholics duke it out and leave the rest of us alone

I would also think that they learned from that whole incident of expelling the great scientists of the past, like Copernicus, for daring to think progressively.

The religous right and their interpretation of the Bible is totally insane. Benny Hinn teaches that Eve was designed to give birth from her side and not from her vagina. He stated on TBN that Eve never had a vagina until she sinned with the serpent in the garden of Eden. That is just insane. That reminds me of Mrs. White in Carrie who considered menses a curse from God.

I notice that Finneye is reading this topic. At least in his country of Finland reason wins out and not the religous right. America could learn a thing or two from the Scandinavian lands.

In Germany (and I think most of Europe), the Protestants are considered somewhat more progressive than the Catholic Church (allowing priests to marry, etc.). I'm not sure if they have an US counterpart - Lutheran perhaps?

But then, a deeply catholic nation like Spain has one of the most progressive marriage legislation in the world.

Yes, but clerical celibacy, for example, isn't really based on the bible. Authority in the catholic church derives as much from tradition as scripture, whereas most Protestant churches hold biblical authority paramount. Where the older protestant line churches (Lutheran, Anglican etc.) that predominate in Europe differ from a lot of the American sects is that they have a more nuanced view of what biblical "truth" means.

And I wouldn't hold my breath for science to have any impact on the Catholic view of homosexuality, since morality isn't something science can investigate. Science may demonstrate that a behavior is natural, but lots of natural human behavior is viewed as immoral by the church.

You're right, it's a bad example. And European Catholics, in practise, are much more progressive than the Vatican would indicate. The Lutherans don't have that highly visible, conservative central entity.